


Into the Beyond

by 0venm1tt



Series: ShuTaba shenanigans [2]
Category: Persona 4, Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Drama, Fluff and Smut, More characters and relationships, Multi, Post-Persona 5, Romance, but spoilers and whatnot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-17 09:29:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,814
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29469480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/0venm1tt/pseuds/0venm1tt
Summary: Life is looking up for Ren Amamiya. He's back in Tokyo, he's developing his relationship with Futaba, and finishing his education. But something's not right. In his sleepy hometown of Inaba, trouble brews. Trouble that makes Yaldabaoth look insignificant.Updates will likely be inconsistent (I'm a college student), but this fic is getting done.
Relationships: Amamiya Ren/Sakura Futaba, Kitagawa Yusuke/Sakamoto Ryuji, Kujikawa Rise/Narukami Yu, Kujikawa Rise/Persona 4 Protagonist, Kujikawa Rise/Seta Souji, Kurusu Akira/Sakura Futaba, Persona 5 Protagonist/Sakura Futaba, Shirogane Naoto/Tatsumi Kanji
Series: ShuTaba shenanigans [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2164566
Comments: 3
Kudos: 13





	1. Chapter 1

“How’s school going?”

“Um…” Futaba Sakura shifted in her bed. She was talking on the phone to Ren Amamiya, her boyfriend and ex-leader of the Phantom Thieves. It had been nine months exactly since the confrontation with Yalbadoloth and sealing of the Metaverse, and roughly six since she began attending Shujin Academy with her friend, Hana. She answered truthfully, “I hate it. But not any more than I thought I would.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

Futaba shrugged, immediately realizing that Ren couldn’t see her. She shook her head, saying, “I guess. All of the classwork is easy, and Kawakami-sensei is really nice, but I can always hear people talking about how weird and awkward I am behind my back, and it’s awful. I hate it so much.”

“Futaba, my love.” All of a sudden, the background noise on Ren’s end became louder. “If they’re going to judge-” an extremely abrasive noise played, cutting him off- “then they aren’t worth your time or concern.”

“Are you alright? It’s loud as hell on your end.”

“Oh, that? I was hoping to keep it a surprise until tomorrow, but check your messages.”

Opening her messages with trembling fingers, a quiet laugh escaped her lips when she saw the picture Ren had sent: himself standing in Yongen-Jaya Station, Morgana perched on his shoulder. He continued, “I’m moving back to Tokyo.”

“Holy shit, no way! How did you-”

“I’ve been saving money ever since we got together to move out here again. I’m going back to Shujin, too.”

“Oh, my god. I’m actually gonna cry.”

“Date night tomorrow?”

The phrase “date night” for Ren and Futaba promised a soft, cozy, quiet event. It consisted almost entirely of blankets, movies, video games, and cuddling. This was not something the hacker would ever pass up. Glancing at the clock on her phone, she asked, “Is there any chance of meeting tonight?”

“Um… I think so. Your house is on the way, so I’ll drop by.”

“Okay. I love you, Ren.”

“I love you too, Futaba.”

She ended the call then, leaping over to her closet to pack an overnight bag. Granted, he hadn’t invited her to stay, but then again, she ended up sleeping in the Leblanc attic nearly every date night during their stint as Phantom Thieves anyways. She was in the middle of typing a message to Sojiro when the doorbell rang. “Be right there!”

She opened up the door, and there he was. Hair still fluffy, muscles still lean, eyes still confident, mouth still smirking, Morgana still present, it really was Ren. He was home. Flinging her arms around him, Futaba spoke into his chest, “I missed you.”

“Hey! What about me?” asked the incredulous cat on his shoulder.

“You too, Mona-chan.” She reached up to scratch Morgana behind the ears, and Ren posited, “What’s on the bill for tonight?”

“You have an apartment, right?” He nodded. “Can we go there?”

“Absolutely. Were you going to stay the night?”

“I’d love to.”

“Alright. It’s a quick subway ride away.”

The subway at night was a wholly different experience. There were fewer people about, allowing Futaba to breathe a little easier (normally, she disliked the train). She leaned on Ren’s arm, bag on her lap. Ren carried a pair of suitcases as well as his old school bag, where Morgana snoozed the night away. All of the assholes at school felt so far away now. Sure, the final item on the promise list that Futaba worked on with her lover last year was being efficient without him, but she’d already proven to herself that she was capable of that. Now that he was back (and here to stay), it couldn’t hurt to ask for his help with them.

They got off, and the apartment building was immediately familiar. “Doesn’t Ryuji live here?” she asked.

“Yup. Right below me, actually. That’s how I knew that this place was available.”

Morgana stirred. “C’mon, Ren, it was bad enough when he hung out in Leblanc! Don’t tell me we’re neighbors now!”

“Chill out, Mona. You get tonight to relax.”

They went up to the second floor, and immediately upon entering the door, they both flopped onto the couch. Ren had had a long day of travel, and Futaba wanted to cuddle with her boyfriend for the first time in months. As they laid, both were face-down, Futaba on top of him. He carefully turned himself over and wrapped his arms around her back, kissing the top of her head.

Futaba scooched up to meet Ren’s face, leaning in to gently kiss his lips. He reciprocated the gesture, softly patting her head. Through the bliss, an uncomfortable thought pierced her mind, and she sat up. “Wait, Ren? What did your mom say about all of this?”

“Moving out here? She said it would make her life easier,” he said with a shrug.

“She’s such a bitch. You deserve a way better mom.”

“I mean, it’s not like she told me anything I didn’t already know.”

Futaba furrowed her brow. “That doesn’t make it better. Actually, that makes it way worse.”

“It’s fine. I don’t plan on ever seeing her again.”

“I don’t blame you.” At that moment, Morgana walked in and saw the two lovers on the couch. Unfortunately enough, it now would appear to an onlooker that Futaba was straddling Ren, and the not-cat simply muttered, “I don’t want to know,” before sauntering off.

The hacker realized what it looked like to Morgana, and with a slight “eep,” laid back down on top of Ren. “Sorry about all of that. Real mood-killer, huh?” Mentally, she attempted (in vain) to will herself not to blush.

“Not at all.” Ren resumed the headpats. “You have no idea how much I missed seeing your cute face.”

Futaba traced a line along Ren’s cheek. “I can imagine.” They kissed once more, and both simultaneously yawned. “C’mon, let’s head to bed.”

On their futon, the weight of the current situation dawned on the youngest member of the Phantom Thieves. It was heavy, to be sure, with the implications of child neglect that blotted Ren’s past. But as Morgana slept by their feet and Futaba laid with her boyfriend, their limbs snaked around one another’s, she felt like the majority of the present circumstances were just the right kind of heavy, like a weighted blanket. She nuzzled his neck, listening to the ambient noise of his gentle snoring. Sleep began to wash over her, her train of thought coming to a halt. Tonight, the Joker and the Oracle were reunited.


	2. Chapter 2

Futaba had a problem.

Or rather, she had a very lewd question to ask Ren. In the morning after he moved back, she happened to wake up before him. Which wasn’t the questionable part of her dilemma at all. No, that came from what she could feel pressing against her thigh. She looked down, and through the imprint of Ren’s boxers was a formidable erection, twitching imperceptibly as he snoozed.

Now, she wasn’t put off by it in the slightest. In truth, Futaba was pretty familiar with the more risque side of the Internet (with several hentai websites populating her bookmarks), and had known for a while that she wanted to take that step with Ren. The issue came with actually bringing this up with her boyfriend. Real life wasn’t a pornographic doujin. She couldn’t just announce her intent and start sucking his dick. Some tact would be necessary.

She adjusted herself slightly, so that she was a little more comfortable in the futon. Immediately, Ren’s hips jerked to the side, making Futaba jump a bit. He muttered something and opened his eyes. After a yawn, he said, “Good morning, darling.”

“Good morning indeed. You wanna meet up with the others today?”

“Definitely.” Even when groggy, Ren’s voice still melted Futaba’s heart. “Let’s go downstairs and see Ryuji. He doesn’t know that I’m back yet.”

From the end of the futon, Morgana groaned. “I’ll pass.”

* * *

“I can’t believe that Sae’s already gotten five people she prosecuted out of prison. We really got to her,” said Ren, taking a sip of coffee. He was doing his damndest to put what had happened this morning (where his dick was pressed against Futaba’s leg) out of his mind and enjoying the moment.

“Yeah, I kinda wish we were still doing our thing. Being a third year sucks, man,” Ryuji replied, sitting in a booth opposite him. They were at Leblanc with Futaba, Morgana, and Sojiro. He was in a bit of a sour mood (according to Futaba, he was quitting smoking), but still greeted Ren warmly when he saw him. They were all waiting for the other Thieves to show up, and catching up on old times for the time being. Ryuji cleared his throat, awkwardly looked around, and leaned closer to his friends. “Um, look, I kinda have a problem.”

“Shoot,” Ren said coolly, extending an arm around his girlfriend.

“Well, it’s not necessarily a problem, I guess. I mean, if I go through with it, I’ll never hear the end of it from the track team, but-”

“Just get on with it, Ryuji.” Futaba’s tone was expectant.

“I have a thing for Yusuke,” he blurted out.

Of the many things Ren thought his buddy might say, that wasn’t one of them. He smirked, a laugh behind his lips threatening to fill the room. Ryuji, through gritted teeth, hissed, “Dude, it’s not funny! My whole life is turning upside down!”

“Who said this is that big of a deal? You’ve had crushes before.”

“Not on guys! I don’t know if I’m gay or bi or what.”

“Does it matter? Just ask him out.”

“I’m so fucked…” The blonde teen groaned, putting his head in his hands.

“What seems to be the matter?” Speak of the devil. Yusuke slid into the booth next to Ryuji. “Good to see you, Ren.”

“What’s up, Inari?” Futaba flashed a peace sign. Ren smiled. One of the things that made him fall in love with her was her unique humor, which was always on full display in her banter with the artist.

“The same as always,” he said, matter-of-factly. Ryuji crossed his legs under the table.

Futaba continued, “So, eating through a week’s supply of food in an afternoon?”

“I will choose not to respond to that.” Yusuke turned his head to the side. “What was it that was troubling you, Ryuji?”

“Oh, just, um, schoolwork, y’know?”

“I see. Well, as long as Makoto is busy with college, I’ll certainly be glad to help you out with your studies.” From the bag on the table, Morgana began making kissing noises while looking side-eyed at the blonde. Ears turning red, Ryuji growled, “I will throw you again, cat. Do not test me!”

“Test you with what?” Ann pulled up a stool, sitting at the side of the table. “Hey, Ren. Glad you’re back.”

Ren took out his phone and texted Ann, “Ryuji has a little crush on our favorite artist.” Ann, upon seeing this, grinned devilishly and made a heart with her hands for her fellow blonde to see. He sighed. “Great. Now all of Tokyo knows.”

“Well, not all of Tokyo,” Futaba replied, “but I did just send a message to Makoto and Haru.”

“Not. Helping.”

“Hello, Sojiro-san.” The familiar voice of Haru sounded out, and she said, “Ooh, a message from Futaba-chan… oh, my.”

“Alright, all of you get in the attic. You’ll scare away customers.” Apparently, Sojiro Sakura was of the opinion that seven was a crowd. Ryuji sighed with relief, glad for the distraction. On the way up, Ren told him in a hushed tone, “Look, I know we’re giving you a hard time, but we’re not judging you at all.”

“I know, dude. But you gotta understand, it’s not like when I was trying to pick up girls on the beach last summer. I’m really scared of fucking this up.”

“I don’t think he’ll turn you down. Tell you what, I’ll be your wingman.” Unbeknownst to either of them, Yusuke, a couple steps ahead, had heard them both and was smiling softly to himself.

It took some time before Makoto showed up and the Phantom Thieves’ reunion party could really get underway. Ren was on his old bed talking with Haru, while Yusuke chatted with Makoto on the couch and everyone else watched Ryuji and Futaba play some retro game Ren couldn’t make out. Haru asked, “Do you need a part-time job while you’re living out here? Because there’s a secretarial position I can get you that opened up last week.”

“That… would be fantastic. How are you going about that?”

She giggled. “It’s in my office. I’ve joined the board of executives at Okumura Foods, you see.”

“I can manage that.” Futaba’s cackling filled the room and Ryuji swore loudly. Ren stood up, and declared, “Well, I have to play matchmaker. When can I start?”

“Tomorrow, if that works for you.”

“That’ll work. Thanks, Haru.”

“Not at all, Ren.” With that, he wandered over to Makoto and Yusuke. The former student council president saw him, glanced back at the artist, winked at Ren, and made a hasty excuse to talk to Haru. The black-haired boy sat down and casually asked, “How’s it going, Yusuke?”

“Very well. And yourself?”

“Can’t complain. It’s good to be back.”

“I can imagine. So, what were you talking about with Ryuji?”

Ren smirked, channeling Joker. “Well, what did you hear?”

Yusuke smiled knowingly. “Perhaps I’d better talk to him.”

At this, Futaba (who had presumably been listening) nudged Ryuji and Ren gestured for him to join the two, standing up as he did. Gulping, the blonde boy sat down and questioned, “What were you and Ren talking about?”

“Relax, Ryuji. I’m aware of your affections now.”

“Uh, what?”

The artist chuckled. “I’m pleasantly surprised, if that helps.”

“Yeah. Yeah, I guess that does help.” He let out a laugh, visibly beginning to relax. “So, do you want to go out sometime?”

“I would enjoy that greatly.” Yusuke’s confirmation prompted Ryuji to lean forwards on the couch a bit, and he began eagerly suggesting date locations and times. Yusuke appeared amused, and agreed to Inokashira Park.

Still smirking, Ren slid over to Futaba and whispered, “Best wingpeople ever.” He thanked his lucky stars that she didn’t appear to be concerned with the morning’s events. Futaba snickered and went in for a fist-bump. “Yes, indeed.”

* * *

_Go time_ , thought Futaba. She was in the bathroom back at Ren’s apartment (where she would be staying the night again), and had been staring at herself in the mirror for a while now. The only clothes she wore were panties, and she eyed her body nervously. Frankly, she wasn’t impressed with what she saw. “Thin” was the only word going through her mind. Too thin. Standing on her tiptoes, she got a better look at the lower half of her body. _Okay_ , went her inner monologue. _That’s a bit better. More shapely, I guess_. She put a shirt back over her bare breasts, took a deep breath, and walked out into the main room.

Ren glanced up, and turned off his phone. “Did you forget to pack a change of clothes?”

Uh-oh. This wasn’t going according to plan. “Well, no, I, um- oh, never mind.” Futaba looked down at her feet, face heating up. “This is so embarrassing.”

“Well, have a seat.” Ren’s voice was as welcoming as it ever was. “Let’s talk.”

Legs shaking, Futaba took him up on the invitation. Once on the couch, she blurted out, “This morning your dick was rubbing up against my leg and I kind of wanted to know if you wanted to try sexual stuff?”

“Ohhh.” It was clearly clicking for Ren, who then chuckled deeply. “I thought I was the only one wondering.”

“So, you’re okay with it?”

“Darling,” he purred, leaning forwards. “I’m more than okay with it.” He kissed her neck gently, moving slowly down to her collarbone.

“W-wait. Don’t leave a hickey,” said Futaba as she ran her fingers through his curly hair.

“Of course not, my love.” He stopped, turned his head upwards, and kissed her deeply. She opened her mouth, and he followed, allowing their tongues to meet and tangle themselves around each other. Futaba grabbed the back of his t-shirt, breaking the kiss to pull it over his head and throw it on the floor. A few scars patterned his muscular torso, which she ran her fingers over absentmindedly.

“Good thing Morgana’s exploring the area. We’ve got the apartment to ourselves tonight,” Ren whispered in her ear.

“Mhm.” She felt warm hands around her midriff, reaching up her shirt. He continued, “Stop me if you feel uncomfortable.”

“Please keep going,” Futaba breathily whispered back.

“But of course.” He slid his hands up between her shoulder blades, and softly laughed again. “No bra?”

“Heh, I thought you’d like that.”

Ren, spurred on, lifting her shirt up off her head. She murmured, “They’re kinda small, I know.”

He lowered his head. “But they’re nice all the same.” Taking one in his hand, he brushed his thumb tantalizingly gently over her nipple, and kissing the other before latching his mouth over it. Futaba let out a small moan and went back to holding his head. It wasn’t much in terms of stimulation, but being with Ren made it nicer somehow. She wrapped her legs around his back, and he sat up, pulling her onto his lap. He was wearing sweatpants, and for the second time that day, Futaba felt his manhood press against her. She asked, in the sultriest voice she could manage, “Excited, are we?”

“You could say that,” Ren replied. She moved down to a kneeling position, readying herself for her next question. “Can I touch it?”

“Be my guest.”

“Okay. Here goes.” She tugged his remaining clothes down, and his cock sprang upwards. She moved a bit closer. “Oh, wow. I knew it was big, but…” She tentatively kissed it just underneath the head. It twitched upwards, away from her. “Oh!”

He laughed softly. A disgruntled Futaba replied, “Don’t laugh! I’ve never done this before!”

“It’s not that. You’re just adorable, is all.”

“Don’t push your luck.” She reached up and wrapped her fingers around the shaft. By her best estimate, it was about eighteen centimeters in length, and she moved her hand all the way up to the head and back down, slowly. “Is that right?”

“A little tighter, please.” His voice was strained. Futaba strengthened her grip a bit, and went back to her stroking motion. This yielded a throaty moan from him, and she sped up a bit. Before too long, a clear droplet of liquid spilled out of his tip. She licked it, finding that it had no flavor at all before realizing what she had done. Throwing inhibitions to the wind, she lowered her mouth to his balls before dragging her tongue up the length of his dick, and then putting as much as she could manage in her mouth. Ren moaned, and Futaba began slowly bobbing her head, taking care not to use teeth. Eventually, she began wiggling her tongue underneath his length before pulling off to ask, “You like that?”

“Very much.”

She went back to jerking him off. “Getting close?”

“Yeah. I’ll let you know when.”

“‘Kay.” She resumed blowing him without taking her hand away, making eye contact all the while. A few minutes went by, which were highlighted by moans coming from her boyfriend. He closed his eyes tightly, and exclaimed, “I’m gonna cum, Futaba!”

Mimicking something from one of her favorite doujins, she sped up her hand, removed her mouth, and stuck out her tongue. Ren exploded, coating the lower half of her face in his cum. She used her fingers to get it into her mouth, and swallowed. The taste was nothing special, but it was pleasantly warm. Standing up, she said, “Geez…”

“Do you want me to reciprocate?” Ren’s voice was still in full suave mode.

“Well, there’s this fantasy I’ve had for a little while, but we’d probably best both be in the shower.”

In the shower, Futaba’s heart started racing. It was all in place: the water was running, Ren was hugging her from behind, and both were completely naked. The plan was simple: he was going to finger her.

“Ready?” He whispered in her ear. She nodded, and he slid his hand below her belly button, the other teasing one of her nipples. She squirmed with anticipation when he took his middle finger through a patch of fiery orange pubic hair, causing him to briefly stop. “Keep going,” she whispered, turning her head to kiss his cheek. Ren obliged, rubbing her outer pussy lips. His brow furrowed, and he murmured, “Now where…”

“Are you looking for my clit? It’s a tiny bit higher up.” He nodded, and a second later, a tingle ran up Futaba’s body. “Mm, right there.”

He traced circles around the edge of her clit for a bit, eliciting small moans and whimpers from Futaba. Eventually, she urged him, “You can go ahead.”

That was apparently all the encouragement Ren needed. His middle finger slowly breached her entrance, and when his thumb found her clit again, she buried her face into his neck, moaning loudly. He whispered, “I didn’t expect you to feel so soft inside.”

“Well, I didn’t really expect your dick to be that hard, either.”

He hummed, and curled his hand in such a way that his entire middle finger was inside Futaba’s pussy. She gasped, breathing out, “Oh, do that again.”

He smirked, and then proceeded to fulfill her request, and her moans became louder and more frequent. It also helped that he was becoming more bold with his free hand, squeezing her tits in just the right fashion. A knot was forming in Futaba’s stomach, in such a way that it made her want to double over and relish in the pleasure. Not that she would, of course. Not when everything in the shower was so _warm_ and _wet_ and she could feel Ren’s cock _throb_ against her ass, hard again. He stuck his ring finger inside her, and her jaw dropped. He turned his head to meet hers, and they kissed, tongues penetrating lips on both ends.

That was it. The kiss, both fingers, the perfect setting, it sent Futaba over the edge. She screamed Ren’s name, and then let her jaw go slack as her entire lower half quivered. Ren pulled his fingers out, and kissed her forehead gently. “You okay?”

“Mhm. That’s the first orgasm I’ve ever had.”

“Oh? Hopefully the first of many.”

“Oh, definitely. I love you, my key item.”

“Love you too, my angel.”

They laid on the futon together again that night, albeit somewhat more scantily clad. It was unreal to Futaba, all of it. Just over a year ago, she was convinced that she would die alone and friendless, wallowing in guilt for a crime she didn’t commit. Now, she had friends, purpose in life, the ability to go outside (somewhat begrudgingly), and a boyfriend she wouldn’t trade for the world. He had fallen asleep mid-headpat, leaving her snuggled into his hand and his neck, protected from all of the world’s danger. All was well.

Until midnight.

Ren thrashed in his sleep, waking Futaba immediately. Panicked, she called out, “Ren? Ren, please wake up!”

He sat up fully, in a cold sweat. He looked around, found Futaba, and pulled her into a hug. She asked, “What’s the matter, Ren?”

He gulped. “I… I don’t think the Metaverse is gone, Futaba.”

“How do you know?”

“I was just in the Velvet Room.”


	3. Chapter 3

Ren paced.

It was three in the morning and all he could do to quell the storm was pace back and forth in his apartment. An empty coffee mug in his hand, sleep being out of the question. Futaba and Morgana eyed him nervously from the couch. It was Futaba who first asked, “So, what exactly did you see?”

Ren stopped walking. “It was different from last year. I was in a lounge room this time, and it was my Joker outfit instead of a prison uniform. Igor told me… something. I don’t remember too well, I think that there’s more out there than the Metaverse. And he gave my third eye back and told me to use it back in Inaba.”

Futaba bristled. “Isn’t that something Yaldabaoth gave you?”

Ren nodded, and checked his phone frantically. “Okay, the Meta-Nav hasn't been installed. That’s good. Plus, Lavenza was one of the attendants.”

“Who else was there?” asked Morgana.

“Igor. The real Igor this time. Also, another attendant who I didn’t recognize.”

“Ren, we can’t be sure that it was the real Igor.”

He resumed pacing, trying to rack his brain for a solution. After a moment, he snapped his fingers. “Morgana, do you have any memories of Igor?”

“Um…” He jumped off the couch. “It’s very foggy. But I remember that I could feel something on him. Something distinct from Yaldabaoth.”

“Okay. Okay.” He breathed deeply, starting to calm down. Apparently, he had a bit of a tic when he was nervous. “I don’t think I can go back to sleep.”

“Then don’t. I’ll stay up with you,” said Futaba.

Ren nodded. He hated to disturb anyone who he didn’t absolutely have to, and this extended most of all to his girlfriend. Morgana stretched and went back out to the futon. As annoying as he could be, the not-cat had a pretty good track record of giving the couple space. After he sat on the couch, Futaba immediately went for his hair, ruffling it gently. He closed his eyes, and she snickered. “You’re such a cat sometimes, you know that?”

“Meow.” Ren used the most deadpan tone he could muster, and Futaba laughed harder. She motioned for him to lay down, and he did so, head on her lap. She asked, “Are you going back to Inaba?”

“I wasn’t planning on ever going back to Inaba. But I don’t know if there’s a choice anymore.”

“I’ll come with you. You won’t have to be alone.”

“How did I ever get so lucky?” Ren reached up and caressed Futaba’s cheek.

She closed her eyes and yawned. “I could ask the same thing.” Ren hummed contentedly, and she continued with her cat comments, “Look, you even purr.”

It wasn’t long after that she fell asleep, leaving Ren alone with his thoughts. For starters, he could tell most of the other Phantom Thieves in person today. Would they also come with him? And he almost audibly groaned when he remembered that there was still school and work to consider on top of every conception he had about the Metaverse being turned upside down. He took out his phone and created a new chat with the Thieves, opening with the message, “I visited the Velvet Room last night. It looks like the Metaverse is back.”

Even the stuffy subways of Tokyo held a certain nostalgic charm that Ren couldn’t deny. Not that Futaba agreed, of course. Her foot tapped, her eyes darted around, and she fiddled with the strap of her satchel tirelessly. Her free hand was clutched in Ren’s. She said, softly, “I think I’m gonna start looking for work.”

“Yeah? That’s probably a good plan.”

“Yup. Just gonna do what Sojiro said and apply everywhere.”

“Radical. I’ll put in a good word with Haru.”

“Radical?”

“Yeah, radical. Anything the matter?”

From within Ren’s bag, the muffled voice of Morgana spoke. “I don’t think that word suits you, Ren.” Futaba just giggled.

The delinquent sighed, and sarcastically said, “You’re lucky you’re so cute.”

School was maddening. It was always a chore when there was thievery to be done, but all of the deadlines the Thieves faced were rigid and unchanging. Here, Ren was ignorant, as unknowing of the ways of the Metaverse as the day he first stumbled into Kamoshida’s palace. Not that there weren’t any positives to Shujin, of course. Seeing Kawakami again was nice, as was being in the same class as both Ryuji and Ann. The biggest surprise came after school, when Ren’s phone started buzzing on the way to work. He picked it up, and Makoto said, “Hello?”

“Hey, Makoto. What’s up?”

“I saw your message. What are you planning on doing about it?”

“Probably take a day trip to Inaba next Sunday. Igor told me to go there.”

“Has it not occurred to you that it could very well be another Yaldabaoth?”

“Of course it has. I’ve been thinking about that all day.”

“So, why not go to Shibuya?”

Full stop. “Wait, what?”

“That’s where you used to go to enter the Room, right?”

Ren slumped back against the outside of the Okumura Foods building. Why hadn’t he considered that? “Actually, yeah, I’ll do that tonight. Probably bring backup, too. Are you available?”

“I’m afraid not. I have essays that need writing.”

“Alright. Thanks for the advice anyways.”

“Anytime, Ren. I have to go, be safe.”

“Alright, take care.” He hung up and went inside, finding Haru’s office after a minute or two. She waved him in, calling, “Ah, Ren. Have a seat.“

He sat down, and Haru said, “So, it’s not a hugely strenuous job. Basically, you’re mostly in charge of scheduling appointments and making sure people who don’t have appointments don’t get through.”

“I can do that.” He lowered his voice. “I’m going to investigate the Velvet Room tonight. I could use some help with that.”

“Sorry, Ren. I have urgent business tonight.”

“No worries. Oh, actually.” He turned around. “Futaba’s looking for work, so keep an eye out for her resume if she applies here.”

“Gotcha. I’ll keep that in mind.”

Ren walked back out to his desk, and between refreshing his email page and waiting for phone calls, he sent a message to Futaba, Ryuji, Ann, and Yusuke, reading, “Any of you available at around 9? I’m going to investigate the Velvet Room and probably shouldn’t go alone.”

The rest of his shift finished its uneventful course, and on his way to his apartment, he checked to see what was up with the others. Yusuke had a massive project to finish, but Ann and Ryuji were both free. No response from Futaba. It wasn’t until Ren was changing into casual clothes that his girlfriend called back. She said, “Ren! I got a job!”

“Great! Where at?”

“Um, Takemi’s clinic, actually.”

“Takemi’s clinic? Fair warning, when I worked there, that involved clinical trials.”

“She said she’s not working on any major developments at the moment. So, for now, it’s technically more of a receptionist position.”

Ren paused. “Huh. You too with this shit, then?”

“Yup. It’s fine, I can probably write a script to automate the whole process.”

“Teach me your ways, O wise one.”

A giggle. “Nope. You know how a magician never reveals his secrets?”

“Mhm.” He pulled on a shirt.

“Same applies with computer geeks with questionably legal track records. Anyways, I’m starting tonight, so I can’t make it to Shibuya. Talk to you soon, though! Love you!”

“Love you too, babe.” Putting his phone away, he underwent his trip, flipping a pen the entire way, hoping for anything to put his mind off of what was happening. In the square, a familiar voice called, “Ren! Over here!”

Ann was waving him over, where Ryuji and Morgana were bickering as per usual. “C’mon, Ryuji, of course Lady Ann will fall for my charms once I become a human!” In response, the runner coughed in such a way that it sounded suspiciously similar to the word “simp.”

With a huff, Morgana offered, “It’s kind of nice to have the four original Phantom Thieves together again, y’know?”

Ren smiled. “In a way. It was over here, by Untouchables.”

They turned into the alley, and sure enough, a hazy blue doorway stood in the middle. Morgana cocked his head. “How come I couldn’t see it last year?” None of the others stopped to think about it too hard. They were only focused on assessing the threat at hand, and stepped through the doorway.

Looking at his hands, Ren saw the trademark red gloves of his Joker attire, and based on Ryuji’s confused “what the hell,” he was willing to bet that the others also had their masks as well. A lounge room, straight out of a classical manor, greeted them, adorned with the deep blues and blacks that Joker was accustomed to. Bookshelves decorated the walls and leather chairs surrounded a crackling fireplace. Igor sat in the middle, with Lavenza on his right and an older woman Joker didn’t recognize on his left. The strange man grinned at the party. “Ah, greetings. I don’t believe I’ve properly introduced Margaret here?” He gestured to the older woman, who nodded curtly.

“Cut to the chase, old man. How do we know we can trust you?” Skull was belligerent, and Seiten Taisei flanked him. Joker extended an arm to block him and gestured towards Mona.

The not-cat scampered up to Igor, and after prodding at him a bit, he nodded and proclaimed, “We’re in the clear, everybody. It’s the real Igor.”

Igor chuckled. “My, my, I must apologize. I neglected to take into account your apprehension towards the Velvet Room. I hope you weren’t too panicked?”

“We were ready for a fight, that’s for sure,” replied Panther, smacking Skull on the back of the head.

“Do sit down, please,” said Margaret. “We have much to discuss.”

* * *

Hours later and many kilometers away, Yu Narukami would wake up, in total disbelief of what he’d just seen. He was on a world tour with his fiancee, Rise Kujikawa (or Risette, as she was known to the masses). Six years prior, they had traversed dimensions to stop a mad goddess from inflicting the more twisted desires of mankind upon the world. Rise tentatively asked, “What’s the matter, Yu?”

He turned to his lover. “We need to send seven backstage passes to this address in Tokyo.”

“Wh-what?”

“Igor just told me. Like, in the Velvet Room. I… I think that something big is going to happen.”


	4. Chapter 4

“So, is the plan really this simple?” Futaba asked Ren, in a slight bout of disbelief.

He nodded. “Yup. Just wait for the concert to be over, go backstage, and talk to Yu Narukami.”

“The idol’s fiancee? Cool. Oh, we’ll probably meet Risette, too!”

“I wonder how much she knows about Yu.”

“I mean, it’s not like we know that much about him, either.” They approached the indoor venue’s doorway, followed by Ryuji, Ann, Yusuke, Makoto, and Haru. The latter three were aware of what had transpired between the others and Igor, and a few days after, Ren came home to seven tickets and backstage passes to an upcoming Risette concert. Igor had told him about an opportunity to find Yu presenting itself. A quick Google search showed that he was engaged to Risette, and the Phantom Thieves’ next move wrote itself.

Ren wasn’t much of a fan of idols, but Futaba had been in her childhood, and she specifically recalled Risette as a favorite, even proclaiming that her music was still somewhat enjoyable to her. Unfortunately, she still appeared to be a nervous wreck, which only intensified as the lights dimmed and the music began. Recalling what Igor suggested, he used the Third Eye to see if anything was out of the ordinary, and his jaw dropped when he saw it. At the same time, the crowd behind them grew particularly loud and boisterous, prompting Futaba to lower her head and leave the seats.  
Ren excused himself to Ryuji, who was standing by him, and quietly caught up to his girlfriend. She smiled a bit, which was betrayed by her demeanor. She murmured, “I can’t believe I let the crowd get to me. I had been doing so well with anxiety recently, too…”

“I don’t blame you. They were starting to bother me, too.”

She slid down the wall she had been leaning against. “Can you stay with me for a bit?”

The Phantom Thieves’ leader met her on the floor, placing a hand gently atop her head. Futaba whispered, “It’s probably been about a year since we first did this.”

“Heh. Y’know, before that, I knew that I liked you, but when we got so close, that was the point when I fell in love.”

“Same.” She rested her head on his shoulder. “Did you see anything in the crowd?”

“I did. Igor changed the Third Eye, I think, because when I looked onstage, I could tell that Risette was a Persona user. But that’s not even the crazy part. The guitarist? The one with the grey hair? He’s like me. A Wild Card.”

“Do you think that’s our guy?”

“I’d imagine so.” Ren tried not to think about the one thing over the summer that he was hiding from her. It wasn’t anything Thievery-related, of course. But it still ate him up inside thinking about how he hadn’t told her. Now wasn’t the time, though. The sounds of cheering died down a bit. “Sounds like the hits stopped playing. Wanna go back?”

“Mhm.” They stood up and headed back. It was an encore, and Ren signaled the team to start moving. On the way, Ryuji posed the question, “Hey, do you guys ever wonder if there’s an afterlife?”

“Hey, Ryuji, dude? Maybe save the questions about life and death for after the serious mission?” replied Ann. Ren nodded slightly, before presenting the security guards with the passes and immediately being greeted by Risette herself upon opening the backstage door. “Hi, it’s so nice to meet you all!”

Makoto was the first to respond. “Is Yu Narukami here?”

Risette shifted to the right. “Um, yes. Why do you ask?”

Ren simply said, “Igor told us to come here.”

The idol nodded solemnly. “Come with me.” She led them to a comfortably adorned room, where the grey-haired guitarist was sitting on a couch. He casually asked, “So, you’re the ones who got the seven tickets for free, huh?”

“Sure looks like it, doesn’t it, Wild Card?”

That got his attention. “You too, huh? Ren Amamiya?”

Ren smirked and shook Yu’s hand. “I’ve heard that I need to head to Inaba. Got any idea why?”

Everybody sat down, and Yu explained, “Well, do any of you remember the Inaba murders six years ago?”

“I lived there while it was happening. Did it involve the Metaverse?”

“Metaverse? Do you mean the Midnight Channel?”

Ryuji nudged Yusuke and whispered, “Oh, that’s a cooler name.”

Makoto shook her head. “The point is, we need to know what we might be looking for in Inaba, because Igor told Ren to find something there.”

“I see.” Yu leaned forwards, contemplating. “I’m not sure what he could be referring to, but if you go there, look for Naoto Shirogane. She’ll probably be able to help, they don’t call her the Detective Prince for nothing.”

“The Detective Prince?” Ryuji perked up. “We’ve had a bit of a history with the second Prince.”

“Who, Goro Akechi? Oh, I get it.” Yu chuckled. “You’re the Phantom Thieves.”

“We used to be,” said Ren. “Or, at least that’s what I thought.”

“You’ll probably end up in the Midnight Chan- the place with all the Shadows at some point. I assume you have a navigator?”

“That’s me.” Futaba raised her hand. Risette piped up, “Ooh, I was a navigator, too! Welcome to the club.”

Yu continued. “You’d better go with him, then. Maybe your Metaverse is different, but there’s no way we could have made it very far in our investigation without Rise.”

“Oh, you have no idea. I would be dead without Futaba.” Ren pulled her into a one-armed hug from the side.

“Is there anything else worth mentioning?” Yu pondered, and turned to Rise, who shook her head, elaborating, “They look like they’ve got a pretty good handle on things. Do any of you have any other questions?”

The Thieves glanced among themselves. “No, I think that’s everything. C’mon, let’s get out of here,” said Ren. “It was nice meeting you two.”

“Same to you,” replied Rise.

Once they arrived back at Ren’s apartment, Morgana asked, “Did you two get what you needed?”

Futaba nodded. “Yup. Wanna go to Inaba on Sunday for a mission?”

“You bet! It’s so boring around here without the Metaverse.”

“Cool. Can I talk to Futaba alone for a sec?” asked Ren.

Morgana gave a salute and scampered off into the bedroom, leaving the two lovers standing in the living room. Ren took a deep breath and wrapped both of his arms around Futaba, preparing for the worst. “There’s something that happened over the summer that I should probably tell you about.”

“Go on…”

Ren felt Futaba’s breathing quicken, and immediately elaborated, “It’s something I probably should have asked for help with. You remember what my mom told me? About me leaving making her life easier?” She nodded into his chest. “I… I had a panic attack right after that. I couldn’t stop thinking about how long it’d be before I saw anyone I cared about again, and it felt like I was going to die before that ever happened.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Funny thing is, you called me about half an hour in. You were so psyched about a Dim Spirits boss you beat, and that helped a lot. Listening to you, I mean.” He took a deep, rattly breath. “I‘m sorry, Futaba. I’m such a liar.”

“Don’t apologize, I’m not upset with you at all. It’s perfectly fine if you weren’t ready to tell me. But please, _please_ promise me that you’ll let me know if it happens again. I’ve had panic attacks myself, and I couldn’t stand to see you in that kind of pain.”

“Of course, my darling,” replied Ren, kissing Futaba on the forehead. “You have my word.”

She attempted to reciprocate the kiss, standing on her tiptoes, to no avail until he leaned down and allowed access to his forehead. “Why are you so tall? It’s ridiculous,” she asked, feigning frustration.

“I’m only 175 centimeters. Besides, you love it,” he shot back with an air of mock smugness. From the other room, Morgana groaned, “Will you two just get a room already?”

“You’re in ours,” said Futaba.

“Good point. I don’t even want to think about what you two nymphomaniacs have done on this futon.” With that, they heard the sound of Morgana jumping out of the bedroom window.

“And then, there were two,” said Futaba, rocking from her heels to her toes.

“Yes, there were,” responded Ren. “What do you say to a classic Futaba’n’Ren Date Night?”

Futaba beamed. “Hell yes.”

Within ten minutes, both of them had a Famidrive controller in hand and were comfortably snuggled together on the couch under a heavy blanket. Ren sighed every time he got his ass kicked at Power Intuition, watching his girlfriend’s toothy grin widen. He’d still reach up and ruffle her ginger hair periodically, content with his situation. No impending disaster could shake his mood. “Futaba?” he asked, once the score reached 14-9 (her favor).

“Mhm?” Both of them were speaking in quiet voices.

“You know, I really could see myself spending the rest of my life with you.”

“Oh, thank God. I was worried that it'd sound weird if I said that. You smooth talker, you." She kissed his cheek. "You know something else?”

“What’s that?” He yawned. It was now past midnight.

“Even when we’re not together when we sleep, I still feel like you’re with me and I love it.”

“I get that feeling sometimes. Wish I got it more when I’m alone, because there’s nothing better than falling asleep with you.”

Futaba yawned. “I really don’t want to move. Wanna just sleep here?”

“Yup.” Ren turned off the TV, reached with his foot to hit the power button on the Famigear, and tucked his leg back into the blanket. Now appreciating his decision to turn out the lights before they started playing, he yawned one final time as Futaba took her glasses off and set them on a large container serving as an end table. Today would be one to remember. The biggest recurring worry for Ren had been the prospect of returning to Inaba and seeing his mother again. But Futaba had pledged her support now. Not that Ren didn’t know he’d have her anyway, but hearing spelled out in explicit terms helped all the same. She slept calmly, face entirely serene. The Phantom Thieves’ leader soon joined her, lulled by the rhythm of her heartbeat against his chest.


	5. Chapter 5

“I’m telling you, this coffee is the second-best part of living in Tokyo,” Ren proclaimed, taking a sip of Sojiro’s famous brew.

“Careful who you’re talking to there about your favorite part, kid,” replied the gruff older man. He chuckled in spite of himself. “When Futaba walked in here on Valentine’s Day, you looked like you were gonna piss yourself.”

“Look, it wouldn’t have been the first time you threatened to kill me over her,” said Ren, joining him in a laugh.

“In all seriousness, though, I’m happy for you two.” He grinned wistfully. “Take it easy out there, Ren. Don’t get yourself or Futaba killed.”

“I’ll try not to. Take care, Sojiro-san.” Ren grabbed his bag from another stool (which contained Morgana) and left Leblanc. He was going to meet Futaba at the train station from where they’d head to Inaba, stay the night at the Amagi Inn, and then find Naoto Shirogane in the morning. It was Saturday night, and the streets were packed. She was already there when he arrived, and he said, “Hey. Sorry I’m late, I was visiting Sojiro.”

“No prob. I don’t think I’ve ever really been outside of Tokyo for any extended period of time.”

“Yeah? Are you excited?”

“I dunno. I guess.”

“I’ve got your back. Just like always.” Ren went to hold her hand, and she took it. That was how they spent the trip to Inaba, hand in hand. They talked for a little bit about video games, and Futaba’s hype over an upcoming Featherman fighting game was able to lighten the mood. It was all Ren could do not to sigh with relief. He’d expected the return trip to his least favorite place on Earth to be wrought with anxiety. In a way, he considered himself rather foolish for his worry. If Futaba was with him, what could he possibly be fearful of? As evening turned to night and all of their fellow passengers got off, Morgana hopped out of the bag and sat on Futaba’s lap, and she in turn went to cuddle with Ren. He let himself relax and wrapped both of his arms around her, hoping to express through body language what words couldn’t quite convey.

* * *

Ryuji’s nervousness was palpable.

He was spending his Saturday afternoon at the park with Yusuke, marking his first date with the artist. He gulped loudly when he saw the blue-haired young man walking up. Putting on his most confident face, he called, “Yo! How’s it going?”

“Quite well. And yourself?”

“Seen worse days, that’s for sure.” Secretly, Ryuji was relieved to see Yusuke in casual garb. The idea of dressing more nicely than usual hadn’t even occurred to him until he arrived at the park tonight. He asked, “So, what’s the plan for tonight?”

“We could get something to eat.”

“How’d I know you’d say that?” The blonde chuckled. “Yeah, there’s a really good ramen shop nearby if you’re interested. It ain’t much, but I’m on a bit of a budget.”

“That sounds good to me. And if it helps, I’m very nearly broke at the moment,” replied Yusuke, extending a hand. “Shall we?”

Ryuji took it and tried to keep his legs from giving out. Even through all of the heists and battles with Shadows in the depths of Mementos, he’d never been quite so afraid of failure. Not that holding Yusuke’s hand was unpleasant, indeed, it was quite the opposite. There was a certain elegance to how his fingers wrapped around his own, matching his impeccable posture and forwards-fixed gaze. Feeling somewhat self-conscious, Ryuji fixed his slouch as best he could, only to be taken completely by surprise when Yusuke spoke up.

“I suppose I might start by apologizing for how our first few meetings went. It was wrong of me to act so rashly towards a group of people who were, in retrospect, simply trying to help me.”

“Oh. Hey, man, it’s water under the bridge.” Ryuji rubbed the back of his head. “I probably shouldn’t have been so aggressive, either.”

“As you said, water under the bridge.” At this point, they were at the ramen place. As per usual, Yusuke ate as though he were starving, leaving Ryuji awestruck. How did such a voracious appetite still manage to appear refined with Yusuke? The artist asked mid-meal, “Is your mother okay with you dating another man?”

“I haven’t told her, but she’s pretty cool about that kind of thing.”

“That’s a relief.” He downed the last of his broth. “I’ll admit, I’m unsure of what, exactly, we should discuss or how to go about this at all. Dating, that is.”

“Hm.” Ryuji’s leg began bouncing. “I guess take it slow? Like, maybe we should just get to know each other better before anything else.”

“How do you propose we do that?”

“Well…” What exactly did Ryuji know about Yusuke? He was a talented artist, that was for sure. They both specialized in physical-type Personas, and often were called upon by Ren for similar situations in combat. Maybe that was when Ryuji realized that he liked him? Seeing him fight, and how graceful his movements were? It wasn’t dissimilar to his visual art, and that prompted the runner to say, “I’m not that big of an art guy. Maybe I’m looking at it wrong, but I just can’t get into it. How did you get into it?”

“I couldn’t tell you, I’m afraid. It’s always been a part of my life. But that’s a very interesting thing to say, looking at it wrong. How do you look at it?” Yusuke crossed his legs, as if to punctuate his question.

“I just see it as an image. And you’re probably internally rolling your eyes at that, I know,” Ryuji sheepishly said, eliciting a chuckle from his date. “How do I change that?”

“Well, how does Ren make you feel, for instance?” Yusuke questioned, leaning his chin on his hands.

“Hm. He’s my best friend, so of course he makes me feel… like I belong, I guess. He’s kind of a sarcastic dick sometimes, and Morgana and Futaba don’t help with that, but he wouldn’t be Ren if he weren’t, y’know?”

“Belonging, perhaps with a twinge of exasperation. And you feel this as soon as you see him?” Ryuji nodded. “A painting, in my opinion, must do the same thing. It has to make the viewer feel. And therein lies the challenge. You feel this because you know Ren well, better than perhaps anyone besides Futaba. But a proper work of art needs to make a strong first impression with only its visuals.”

“Huh.” It was a lot to take in. “I think that makes sense.”

“I’m glad.” Yusuke clearly wasn’t lying, and Ryuji was able to breathe a little more easily as they paid and left. The sun was setting over Inokashira Park, and the pair chose to watch it on a bench overlooking the pond. Much to Ryuji’s surprise, Yusuke tentatively leaned over so that his head was on Ryuji’s shoulder. Initially tense, the blonde relaxed a bit after a second, reaching an arm around his companion. He felt less insecure over his sexuality after the day’s events. Even if he were to be judged, it was worth it. Worth it for the warmth spreading from his shoulder to the rest of his body, reminding him to stay on the course to happiness.

* * *

“Welcome to the Amagi Inn, pride of Inaba.” A tall, black-haired young woman greeted Ren and Futaba. “Will that be just the one room?”

“Yes, please,” said Ren. “One bed is all we need.”

“Let me just get you checked in…” The woman typed away at her computer. “Okay. That’ll be room 202. Enjoy your stay.”

“Thanks, have a good night,” replied Ren. Before going upstairs, he flipped on the Third Eye out of habit, and was surprised to see that the woman was a Persona user. Once they were in the room, he let Morgana out of the bag and immediately said, “I have a job for you, Mona.”

“Yes?”

“The woman at the desk? Keep an eye on her for a few hours. She’s got a Persona.”

“You got it, Ren.” He slunk out of the room, stretching his back as he did.

Ren then turned to Futaba. “Funny enough, I’ve never actually been here. It’s nice, though. Definitely the only place in Inaba worth being proud of.”

“Yeah, I like it a lot. Aren’t there hot springs here?”

“Pretty sure. Wanna check that out?”

She shrugged. “Might as well, seeing as I’m not tired at all.”

The springs were completely empty. Ren, stretching his sore lower back, declared, “I’ll stay here for a bit. Wanna join me?”

“Yup,” affirmed Futaba. Before long, they were both immersed in the soothing waters, fully nude (seeing as nobody else was present in the building that they could discern). The leader of the Phantom Thieves was painfully aware of his own erection, what with Futaba, sans clothing, leaning back into his side. She had deftly taken one of his hands to her perky breasts, and he circled one of her nipples with his thumb, relishing in the moment. After about fifteen minutes, Futaba asked, “Can we take this back upstairs?”

“Yup. Any reason why?”

“It’s a little embarrassing, I’ll explain once we’re back in the room. Kay?”

Once they were back, Futaba went to each wall of the room to make sure that they had no neighbors, and said, “You know how I’d never came until we were together?” Ren nodded. “So, I can’t really get in the mood if there’s a chance of being caught.”

“I see. That makes a lot of sense, actually. Definitely nothing to be embarrassed over.”

“Yeah, maybe I should be more concerned with my fantasies.”

That got Ren’s attention. His dick straining against the front of his jeans, he brought out the suave Joker voice to say, “Fantasies? Do tell.”

“Well… um, how do I put this…” Futaba flopped onto the bed. “I wanna watch you jerk off.”

“Oh.” Ren sat down beside her, unsure of how to process her request. “I didn’t expect that.”

“You’re right. I’m sorry. I probably should have figured that’d be a weird thing to ask.”

“Well…” Leaning down to Futaba’s ear, Ren purred, “Who said I wasn’t on board?”

“Alright.” Futaba met his gaze, grinning devilishly. “Are we doing this now?”

“I’m down for that. Actually, can you do it, too?”

“Yup. Is it because it’s awkward?” She sat up.

“Not at all. Frankly, it’s because you’re right. It does sound hot.”

Futaba snickered. “Point one for my weird kinks,” she said, taking off her shirt. Ren followed her lead, albeit somewhat hesitantly. He had a number of scars across his upper body from his tenure as a Phantom Thief, and he hated how they looked. Futaba didn’t seem to mind, though, and as she unclasped her bra, Ren figured it was probably better to go with the flow for now and undid his belt.

By the time they were both fully unclothed again, Futaba had already begun jilling herself. His cock still hard, Ren began stroking along the length of his shaft. Given his position, he found it difficult to see exactly what she was doing to herself. Not that it mattered too much, of course. Not while her hips jerked in time with her ministrations and she bit her lower lip while watching him. Ren picked up the pace and allowed himself to lean back against the wall and moan quietly.

Some ten minutes or so went by in this manner, during which both partners steadily increased the volume of their moans. At the end of this period, Futaba moved up to lean on the same wall as Ren. She asked, “I’ve got another idea. Wanna try and cum in sync?”

“Sounds good,” breathed the curly-haired young man. Precum flowed from his tip. He’d masturbated several times to memories of his girlfriend in Inaba, but the intimacy of being right next to her made everything so real, so primal.

“You might wanna hurry it up, then. I’m getting pretty close- oh, fuck!” Futaba’s voice was strained, and she buried her face in Ren’s shoulder. With his free hand, he caressed her cheek and pulled the hacker into a kiss. He could feel the imminence of his orgasm, and just as he was about to warn her, she pulled away. Her jaw was open and her legs were quivering. At some point during this sight, Ren came as well. He closed his eyes, letting out a breath he’d been holding.

When he opened them, he saw a certain gamer smirking at him. “What are you… oh, my bad.” Apparently, he had been holding his dick at a peculiar angle, and Futaba, having slumped back onto the bed post-orgasm, was adorned with a few ropes of cum across her belly.

“It’s fine. I kinda expected something like this to happen,” she said. “I love you, Ren.”

Ren gazed into her shining brown eyes, coming down from his sexual trance as he did. “Love you too, Futaba,” he murmured, kissing her forehead.

* * *

Futaba lay awake with Ren at midnight. Neither said a word, they only stroked each other’s hair absentmindedly, tangled in each other’s arms and basking in the shared body heat. She didn’t want to sleep. Aside from Morgana needing to be let back into the room soon, Ren’s tiny, chaste kisses that kept finding their way to the top of her head gave her reason to stay awake.

Sudden scratching at the door was certainly worth waking up for, though. Both lovers sat up, and it was Futaba who opened the door by a crack to let Morgana in. Mutedly, the not-cat exclaimed, “She knows Naoto! And there’s another lady, too. Chie, I think was her name?”

“So, no signs of another Akechi situation? Where we’re being set up?” Ren was upright.

“No,” replied Morgana. “The Phantom Thieves aren’t alone anymore.”


End file.
